


The Great Divide Chapter 20: Simple Design

by Antigravity_Carnivore



Series: The Great Divide [20]
Category: Breaking Benjamin (Band), STARSET (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Angst, Computers, Destruction, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F.E.C., Fluff and Angst, Future Fic, Gay, Gay Male Character, Heavy Angst, Homosexuality, Inspired by Music, M/M, Male Slash, Planet Destruction, Rebellion, Science Fiction, Trapped
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-29 07:10:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13921983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antigravity_Carnivore/pseuds/Antigravity_Carnivore
Summary: Selene Bell awakens at Dawn, suffering from grievous wounds and learns about Aaron's plans to retrieve the information from the F.E.C. base, while Dustin confronts Brock and Burnley.





	The Great Divide Chapter 20: Simple Design

“Where am I?” Selene asked, moving her head to the side. The slight motion sent a shock of pain shooting down her neck and spine, and a small whimper escaped her lips. Taking great care, she returned her head to its original position and decided that it was best to stay motionless for the moment. Slowly, she opened her eyes, but could see nothing but darkness around her. Her eyelashes fluttered against a piece of thick material which had been used as a makeshift blindfold that covered her line of vision, hiding everything from sight. Curious, she tried to lift her arm to pull at the folds of material, and found that as she lifted it them half inch off the bed, there was another blinding wave of pain, spreading out over the layers of flesh, making it incredibly difficult to move. Trying to calm herself down, she gingerly tried the same thing with her feet and legs, but unfortunately was met with the same excruciating result. Her entire body felt like it was engulfed in flames, sweating and feverish. Exhausted from the 2 minute excursion into exploring her surroundings, Selene let out a discontent sigh and resigned herself to accepting her fate at the moment.

Her mind went back to the last thing she could remember, escaping the F.E.C. base with Lizzie, and then the Carnivore attack. Drifting in and out of consciousness, she remembered hearing Lizzie saying something about someone following them shortly after departing the base. Sick and in shock, Selene could do nothing but curl up into a tight ball in the backseat of the vehicle as Lizzie stepped on the accelerator and the loud purr of the engine took over, moving the faster and further away from Thomas and the others. It wasn’t long before the Carnivores caught up, and forced them off the road. The vehicle spun out of control and toppled over, sending both of the woman’s bodies crashing against the metal frame until it finally came to stop in a ditch. Coming to her senses first, Selene could hear the guttural grunts and electronic language of the monsters outside, moving in for the kill with their black robes swirling around their ankles. Desperately she tried to wake Lizzie, but she was still and unmoving, having been knocked out from the impact. As the first flames ignited and set the vehicle on fire, adrenaline began pumping through Selene’s veins and she tried desperately to free herself, pushing on the twisted, bent shapes of metal that pinned her down. Realizing that she needed help, she tore her gaze off the creatures circling outside and shouted for Lizzie, desperately trying to rouse her from her unconscious state, but it was of no use. Momentarily distracted, Selene failed to see the large, black claws reach in through the shattered window and plunge into the soft skin of her shoulder. Screaming out in pain, she could do nothing as the Carnivore pulled it’s arm back and slid her effortlessly from the burning rubble. In a second, she found herself out on the hot sand, with the pack of beasts on top of her, clawing at the remnants of her burnt clothing, shredding it in frenzied fury. Selene’s eyes focused on the burning vehicle, flipped upside down and engulfed in flames just in front of her and a slight smile came across her lips. Lizzie was still inside, unconscious and trapped as well, but she wouldn’t have to suffer the horrific death that she was now going to experience.

As their claws started to rip away at her skin, Selene looked away from the burning wreckage and up to the distorted and grotesque masks that covered her assailants faces. Abandoned by the F.E.C. these rogue Carnivores were even more dangerous than their official counterparts and they stalked the desert wasteland looking to snare any bit of living flesh that they could for their next meal. She never thought that this was how her life was going to end. Refusing to give up or give in, Selene took a deep breath, vaguely aware that it could be her last and summoned every bit of strength she had left inside of her, pushing past all the pain from the burns and the injuries from the crash. Writhing her body around on the sand, she kicked and punched at the creatures, in a last ditch to get them off of her. She wouldn’t go down without a fight. Startled by their prey’s sudden attempt at freeing herself, they hesitated for a moment, and those few seconds were all that was needed for the sniper some distance away to take aim, and drop the first of the beasts to the ground. Shot after shot ran out, and Selene managed to free herself and crawl away from the fray, just in time for her to see a group of men swoop in and slaughter the rest of the pack with uncanny precision. After they had finished off the Carnivores, one of the men slowly walked to her and took his jacket off, and gently placed it over her. Selene looked up at his deep blue eyes in wonder, and then a sudden crackling noise startled her. “Lizzie!” she shouted at the man, clutching his shirt in her hands. “She’s still in the vehicle, please help her!” she begged. The man motioned for his men and immediately they started over to the burning rubble, trying to find a way in. The smell of the smoke built up in her lungs, and Selene started to have a coughing fit, which wracked her body with spasms, sending extreme amounts of pain over every part of her burnt and singed flesh. It was overwhelming, she felt dizzy and nauseous. The adrenaline rush was wearing off and now she was starting to succumb to her injuries once again. The world around her started to dim, and all she could do was fall back down into the soft sand and close her eyes. The last thing she heard was a man’s voice saying. “It’s okay, we got her.”

Selene’s throat was parched. Her lips were dry and cracked. Her entire body felt like it was on fire. She didn’t know where she was, or what had happened, and was momentarily overcome with emotion. A stray tear slid down her cheek from underneath her blindfold, and she tried her best to choke down the feelings that threatened to consume her with anger and rage. Silently, she wondered what was going on back in the F.E.C. base, having sent her only son back inside to bring out a madman was weighing heavily on her, but Burnley needed to be saved. He was a lunatic, a psycho and a raving homicidal killer, but Selene knew the secret that he kept hidden from everyone. It was the reason why she sent Thomas back in to save him. There was something more to the young man than what he pretended to be, a part of him that was still innocent and pure, and she knew that if he perished or slipped away into the night, he would never have the chance at redemption again.

The door to her room slid open; she could hear footsteps approaching her bed and Selene instinctively tensed up. “Whoever you are, don’t be a creep, just say who you are and what’s going on here. I am too tired for bullshit these days.”

A male voice spoke up, it sounded older, deeper than the man who had rescued her out in the wasteland. “Mrs. Bell… Selene... if I may call you that, you’re perfectly safe here, there’s no need for animosity or harsh tones. I am here to answer all your questions. You are in Dawn, a secluded Messenger base in the northern desert. One of our leaders, Aaron was the one who found you and Lizzie being assaulted by the Carnivores. He wanted to come speak to you personally, but I am afraid that he’s rather occupied at the moment dealing with other, more pressing matters.” The man took a few more steps into the room and came to stand near Selene’s bed. She did not retreat from her defensive position. “You are suffering from third and fourth degree burns to roughly 70% of your body, and multiple contusions and sprains from the crash. If we hadn’t found you when we did, the chances of your survival would be very slim indeed. Consider yourself lucky.”

“The blindfold. Take it off, I want it gone. I want to see you.” She said boldly.

“Ah yes, I am sorry about that, but it was needed for the treatment we’ve been giving you. Your burns were far too deep for traditional medical methods to fix, so we brought you in this room which is flooded with ultraviolet light in regular intervals to trigger your skin to repair itself. The blindfold is to shield your eyes from the harmful rays while the procedure is going on. I do apologize for the traumatic effect it must have had on you, waking up to darkness, but I assure you that it is a necessary precaution.” The doctor’s tone changed, to one a bit more comforting and reassuring. “Not to worry, I will be removing it shortly. As I speak, the technicians are slowly increasing the ambient lighting in the room here so that you will have a easier time making the adjustments. Of course, your wounds are not fully healed yet, so we will have to apply it again after I leave for another few sessions, but for your comfort, I can remove it for a short time. I only want to ease your fears and make you comfortable as the healing process begins.”

Selene’s fingers twitched slightly, something didn’t feel right to her. “Tell me EXACTLY where Lizzie is right now, and don’t lie to me. I’ve spent half my life dealing with the lying F.E.C. bastards, so I can tell when someone is being dishonest with me. I want this blindfold off… now. Don’t give me excuses about ambient lighting. I’ll deal with it.”

The doctor sighed and approached her and started to unbuckle the straps that held her blindfold in place as he spoke. “She left hours ago with our leader, Aaron to return to the F.E.C. base that you had escaped from.”

Feeling suspicious, Selene shook her head. “I don’t understand. Why would she go back there… was it for Thomas?”

The doctor loosened the last strap and let the blindfold fall away. “No. They are going after Burnley.”

The light from the room flooded her eyes and she had to quickly shut them again. “That’s insane. Thomas went back for him. Lizzie wouldn’t put herself in danger. I know for a fact that she would NEVER go back there…she can’t…he will kill her…I don’t understand what’s going on here.” Slowly opening her eyes, Selene let them adjust to the low lighting in the room. Looking around, she could see that he was not lying to her. She was in a room that was used for ultraviolet light research and development, but she had never heard it being used to regenerate skin tissue. Glancing down at her arms, she could see the tell-tale patterns of where the chemicals that Burnley spilled on her had caught fire and seared her flesh. Thick, semi-thick welts and blisters still formed over the skin, making it painful for her to move. They were no longer life threatening, the increased healing of the lights were helping, but the doctor was correct, it would take more sessions before she could be well enough to be able to get around with minimal pain. “I need to get out of here.” She said quietly. “I need to go back… Thomas, and the others… they are trapped in there. We took the only method of transportation away from that place, leaving them to fend for themselves. I need to go back.” She repeated. “I need to go back. I can’t leave him alone again.”

Shaking his head, the doctor wheeled over a small cart next to her bed and gave her a comforting smile. “I am afraid that’s quite out of the question. You’re still far too injured to leave this bed without assistance, much less go storming back into that base for a rescue.” Gently, he picked up her wrist and started to take her pulse. “You don’t have to worry though; Aaron is going to take care of everything, have faith in him. I am sure that he will find your friends. We’re all on the same side here, Selene. He’s a good man, very trustworthy and honest. As a matter of fact, he instructed me to get you all healed up and take you back to your son’s base, the Shallow Bay as soon as possible before he left.”

“I don’t believe you.” Selene said, quickly pulling her wrist back away from him.

The doctor pulled open one of the drawers on the cart and started rummaging through it. From her vantage point, Selene could only see random medical supplies, gauze, clamps, bandages, etc inside. “Let me put it this way…what choice do you have? You almost died, twice out there, and sure you’re stable at the moment, but if you get up off this bed and storm out there, you are probably going to end up dead for certain. I could go into a huge list of the medical reasons why you need to remain here, but with your current attitude, I dare say that you would just brush me off and not give a care anyway, because you’re so hell bent on saving your friends. What you aren’t taking into consideration is that you already tried your best, and gave it all that you had, and now it’s your turn to stop and let them do the rest. You know you have to stay, for their sake and yours too.”

Selene frowned and looked at her hands and arms sadly. She knew he was right. She couldn’t get up and run away, leaving the others to their fates, but her body was extensively damaged, leaving her in a weakened state where she felt completely helpless. A feeling of regret washed over her, she wished that she had seen Lizzie before she ran off back to the F.E.C. base; being able to see her and talk to her would put her at mind at ease. Selene suspected that there was more to Lizzie’s return to the base than just trying to abduct Burnley…she knew the real reason why she went after Ben’s son, but that knowledge was useless now that she had already left. Hours had passed since the wreck out in the desert, and Selene knew even if she did manage to find a way out of Dawn, finding the others might not even be possible. All she could do was sit and wait. She sighed and whispered. “Even in war there is a time for restraint. A time to hold back your sword. I guess this is my time.”

Placing a hand on her arm delicately, as to avoid aggravating the wounds on her skin, the doctor smiled at her, and nodded. “That’s such a wonderful way of putting it. I couldn’t have said it better myself. “Our world has changed so much, brought to its knees under the guise of science and technology. Manipulated and twisted by algorithms that turn friends against one another. This planet has been broken and shattered into nothing more than a mere hollow shell, with only hollow, empty people living on it. Those who brought this blight to our home must be made to pay for the crimes they’ve committed.”

Surprised by the doctor’s enthusiasm Selene nodded to him and gave him a soft look. It had been a long time since she had heard anyone speak so highly of trying to reclaim Prox and fix what was broken. Never having any direct interaction with any Messenger groups, including Thomas’s, she always tried to keep to herself, staying in the shadows and not relying on anyone else. Her safety and well-being was always in her own hands, and she liked it that way, but now maybe things were changing. She had Thomas back, and was learning to trust others like Ben, Dustin, Brock and Lizzie. These were good people, with good hearts. It was time for change. Taking a deep breath, she winced as a wave of pain coursed through her body and she whimpered slightly.

Noticing her discomfort, the doctor gave her a sympathetic stare. “The pain is returning, isn’t it? Selene, we need to do another treatment on your burns as soon as possible. Every time that we administer another round of the light, they will lessen and the pain will start to recede. I know that you don’t trust me, but I am asking you to give a little and please let me set you up for another round of treatment. You don’t even have to be sedated this time, I promise. I am a doctor and I took an oath to prevent pain and care for my patients the best way possible. I hate seeing you like this, please let me help you.”

“It’s alright. I am ready.” Selene said to him, finishing off her sentence with the most convincing smile that she could muster. The longer she sat there with her skin cracked, open and blistered, the worse the pain became. The doctor returned her smile with one of his own and then started fussing with his crash cart again. Selene stretched out, trying to get as comfortable as she could on the bed when her fingers brushed against the blindfold that she had on earlier. Picking it up, she held it up for him. “I guess you’re going to have to put this back on me again. Sorry that I can’t do it myself.”

“Oh. We don’t need that anymore.” He said and pushed a button on the side of the bed. There was a loud click and suddenly a series of thick nylon straps shot out from the side of the gurney and looped themselves over Selene’s body, immobilizing her within seconds.

“What the hell is this? What are you doing!” she screamed at him, trying to wiggle herself free.

“I told you! Were you not paying attention Selene!? Those who destroyed this planet MUST be punished, and you are one of them! Don’t you remember? You were the one who invented those god dam visors, which enslaved half the people of Prox. How do I know this you ask? Well it’s because I too, worked for the F.E.C. I know all about you. I’ve seen your file and I know that you were the one to change the coding on the visors from healing devices to ones of brainwashing. So don’t play innocent. Sadly though, I too am guilty of horrible crimes in the name of the Free Energy Corporation, and one day I will atone for them too, but it is not this day. This day is all for you. I am going to make you pay for every life that you’ve taken with those things in the most poetic way possible.”

Selene couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You’re insane. I only altered them because they had my son! If you read the file, you would know that.”

He leaned in so near to her face that she could feel his rancid breath on her skin. “That’s not the only crime you’ve committed. Your sins go way past that to something even more perverse and disturbing. You were the one who brought the boy here… the one that cost me everything and made me to go into hiding. He is the reason why I lost everything I had built up within the F.E.C., years and years of loyalty and devotion all wasted, and for what? To be forced to go into hiding, waiting and biding my time until I could prove my worth to them again. All because of you..It was by your hand that he was snatched away from his mother, no one else did it. YOU brought this plague upon us.”

“Fuck you!” Selene shouted. “I did those things out of desperation. Burnley is NOT MY RESPONSIBILITY. I had no hand in the awful things that happened to him. The F.E.C. pushes people to do things against their will, and whatever it is that you have planned for me is no better than what they’ve made me do. So you are just as guilty as I am. Don’t give me this ‘redemption and saving the planet’ bullshit anymore because I know you’re just trying to rationalize it. What you are doing is wrong, what THEY are doing is wrong. So go ahead and kill me if you want. In the end, my death won’t get you anywhere. The F.E.C. doesn’t care about me, and you can’t use me as leverage to get back in with them. My research is destroyed, the planet is crumbling, and I put my son in danger. I’ve been tortured emotionally and physically by Burnley and am worthless as a bargaining tool. So cut the crap. There’s nothing that you can do to me now that would make a bit of difference on how this is all going to end. I can tell you one thing for certain, though. If I get out of here, I am going to break your scrawny little neck the first chance that I get.”

“Honestly, I don’t think that you will.” The doctor said smugly and turned away from Selene’s side. Pulling a set of keys out of his pocket, he knelt down by the large bottom drawer of the crash cart and started to unlock it. Selene couldn’t move much but she could hear the metal bin as it slid open and the doctor pulled something out and returned to her. “You see, Selene…I’ve waited for so long, hiding out among the messengers here for my chance, biding my time until I could finally make a move against them, and now that time is at hand.” Lifting his arm up, she could see that the doctor was holding a laser pistol and aiming it at her. “I want you to know that your death is the catalyst that starts me down the path to my own glory. After I am done with you, I will bring this base down to the ground and then start on the others, one by one until every single Messenger base is obliterated from the planet, and the F.E.C. is triumphant. I guess you can say it’s poetic justice in a way, that you came to me. You ruined my life before by bringing that bastard Burnley here, and now I have a chance to set a series of events in motion that will make everything right.”

“Why didn’t you just kill me while I was unconscious? It would have been so much easier than trying to heal these wounds.” Selene asked questioningly.

The doctor moved around to stand at the foot of her bed, lower his weapon a bit. “Too many witnesses. Aaron made sure that he came in here and checked on you and your friend regularly. I had to make it appear that you were getting better so that he let his guard down and went about doing what he had to do and leave me be. As far as he is concerned, you’re shipped off to the Shallow Bay, out of sight and out of mind. He’s planning on bringing Burnley back here with him, as his prisoner, in an effort to get information out of him, and when that happens I am going to do away with Aaron and his entire chain of command here, and see to it that Burnley gets handed over to the F.E.C. for them to deal with. He will be quite a prize to present to them. They don’t tolerate traitors, and since he’s already murdered an entire base of scientists, doctors and Carnivores, his fate is already sealed.” The doctor grinned and brought the gun back up, pointing it at Selene, who kept her eyes on him, unflinching. “You’re right; everything I said about saving the planet was nothing more than bullshit. I don’t give a rat’s ass about Prox, and as a matter of fact, I happen to know that the F.E.C. was very close to draining every bit of resources this planet has, to energize the Everything Machine and proceed onward to a new home. In a matter of weeks, Prox won’t matter anymore, it will be a dead planet, just like its people and we will move on to bigger and better places. The Messengers won’t be able to stop us, and it all begins with your death.”

“So you’re going to use Burnley as a bargaining tool to get back in with them?” Selene let out a small chuckle. “That’s the most insane thing I’ve heard all day. You may have created that monster, but it’s obvious that you don’t know a thing about him. Burnley’s a lunatic, but he’s smart. He will find a way to turn the tables on you and finish you off.”

“I thank you for the warning, but it’s really not necessary.” The doctor slipped his finger over the trigger of the pistol. “This is the end for you, the great Antigravity Carnivore. All your efforts to save the planet, and your child have failed. You will die never knowing what became of your miserable family, but you can take solace in the fact that you won’t see the planet fall to pieces and crumble underneath your feet. You won’t hear the screams of the few remaining lost souls as the core goes critical and explodes, turning everything into ashes and embers.” He stopped and smiled at her. “Be thankful I am putting you out of your misery, you fucking traitor.”

Selene took a breath, but refused to close her eyes. All she could focus on was the gun in the man’s hand, and the bolt of electricity that would soon be shooting out of it and stopping her heart. Narrowing her eyes in defiance, she lowered her voice and spoke directly to him. “Go to hell.”

The man grinned and applied pressure to the trigger of the pistol. The weapon instantly energized and started humming in his hand, but before he could pull it all the way back releasing the bolt of energy that would be the killing blow, he heard a shout behind him that caused him to hesitate for a fraction of a second. “Browning!” Spinning around on his heel, Dr. Browning turned just as Aaron and a group of men stormed into the room, surrounding him. Seeing that he was cornered, he turned his attention to Aaron and pointed the weapon directly at him, switching targets, but never got the chance to pull the trigger. There was a sudden flash of light in the room that caused Selene to shield her eyes and look away for a moment. There was a loud pop and then the disgusting, rancid smell of burning flesh assaulted her; she knew that the doctor was dead before his body even hit the ground. The weapon in his hand dropped down to the floor first clattering loudly on the concrete and then his corpse quickly followed. The flesh in the center of his chest sizzled and crackled, leaving a gaping hole where his heart had once been. The was blood splattered all over his white scrubs, the walls, the floor and the ceiling. Aaron's weapon had been set to the highest setting. Selene looked up to the blond man with piercing blue eyes that stood in front of her. “Holy shit!”

Walking forward, he quickly made his way over to her bed and released the bonds that were holding her down. “Are you okay?”

“He was going to fucking kill me, no I am not okay!” She snapped at the man. Forcing herself to calm down, she watched as the group of soldiers started carrying the doctor’s body away. There were multiple smoking holes in his torso as well, each charred and oozing from the blast of the laser rifles that had been fired in rapid succession. These men weren’t fooling around. “I take it you’re Aaron?” she asked, shaking slightly.

The man nodded and sheathed his gun, watching his men hail the doctor away. “Yes. I came to see you earlier, but you were unconscious.” He extended his hand to her, and then realized that she was still immobilized. Offering her a apologetic smile, he loosened the bonds that held her in place. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

Selene didn’t take his hand, but gave him a serious stare, rubbing her wrists. “Whatever. Tell me exactly what the fuck is going on here. Was he one of your men? How did you know that he was going to kill me?”

Aaron withdrew his hand and pulled up a stool to sit next to her bed. “Well, we didn’t exactly know he was directly after you. Lizzie escorted us back to the F.E.C. base to take Burnley captive. While we were there, we ran into your son, Thomas who gave me a flash drive of information which was taken directly off Burnley’s computer. After verifying it, we saw that it contained the locations of each and every messenger base on Prox, along with F.E.C. operatives that have been planted in each one. We knew that it was imperative that we return to Dawn and start to broadcast this information to the other bases and flush out the spies as soon as possible. Also included on that disk was video evidence of Dr. Browning’s involvement with the F.E.C. He had only been with us for a short time, but gained our trust almost immediately, and with this new information, we feared he might make a move against us, especially if he knew we had Burnley’s files, so we returned immediately and sought him out. Thankfully, just in time to save your life. We never suspect one of our own.”

Selene gripped the edge of the sheet that had been draped across her and curled her fingers around the edge of it to stop her hands from shaking. “What else is on that disk?” she asked.

Aaron smiled. “Everything. We have the location of the main F.E.C. base, as well as detailed schematics for the main building. It seems as though Burnley himself was planning on infiltrating it for some odd reason. We believe it’s because he wants to get his hands on the Everything Machine, but he needs help to bypass the security systems. But we’re going to get there first. Right now we’re preparing a strike force to go after the F.E.C. and take them down. This will be the last battle that we will ever have to fight; we’re throwing all we got at them. Win or lose, it’s the end for us.”

Starting to feel uncomfortable, Selene tried her best to keep her composure. “Browning said you left with Lizzie. Where is she?”

“She chose to stay behind with Thomas while they search for their friends. I tried to persuade her to come back with us, both of them actually, but they wouldn’t listen to reason. We were running out of time and it was important that we got back here as soon as possible. If we didn’t, you’d be dead by now and Browning would be planning his sabotage on the innoncen people who live here. Selene, this is a base full of families. Think about what might have happened if he got away with his treachery.”

“Right now, I don’t care about the F.E.C. or Browning, or even Dawn. You left good, decent people behind, and it’s your obligation to go get them back. Send one vehicle, that’s all I am asking. The chances are that they are out there in the desert somewhere wandering around, possibly hurt and near freezing, and need help. You can have your attack against the F.E.C. but please, send someone out to look for them.” Selene begged.

Aaron lowered his head a bit and Selene felt a lump forming in her throat. “We can’t go back until morning.”

“What? Why the fuck not? Don’t you know how cold it gets on Prox at night? One fucking car! Don’t leave them trapped out there with no shelter.”

Sighing, Aaron stood up and started pacing, running his fingers through his blond hair. He was obviously dealing with some inner turmoil. “We rigged the base with explosives that have a fail-safe mechanism on them to prevent them from being tampered with. Once it’s activated, the countdown begins from two hours until detonation. There is no way to disable it. We knew that we couldn’t risk that base being utilized by the F.E.C. again, or any Carnivores possibly escaping. If it were destroyed, then we wouldn’t have to worry about it, and what the explosion didn’t take care of, the night time temperatures would. Nothing can survive out there. We need every man, every vehicle at our disposal for the upcoming attack against the F.E.C., I can’t spare anything right now.” Aaron tried to give Selene a reassuring look, but she glared back at him in contempt. “Besides, Lizzie knew exactly what she was in for when she agreed to go back in for your friends.”

“Lizzie is smart. She wouldn’t have gone in there knowing that there would be no hope of escape.” Selene narrowed her eyes and her voice cracked. She struggled through parched lips and scorched lungs to speak to him. Even through all the pain coursing through her body, making it difficult to even stay conscious, she fought desperately to get answers from the man in front of her. Brock, Dustin, Lizzie, Thomas… they were her friends, her family and she had to find a way to help them. Browning had convinced her that she needed to be content to sit back and let things happen, let fate run it’s course, but she knew deep inside that she could never sit idly by and let others fight for her. She lifted her head and faced Aaron directly. “What did you tell her that convinced her to stay?”

Aaron looked at Selene and the expression on his face softened. He didn’t see the Antigravity Carnivore, the creator of the visors and past member of the F.E.C. sitting there, he didn’t see the computer hacker, who routinely stole files off the most secure systems on the planet for her own personal use sitting there either. All he saw was a woman, a mother, weak and injured from her fight against something that was much bigger than her and it broke his heart. Keeping his voice low, he spoke softly to her. “I told Thomas and Lizzie that I would leave transportation, a vehicle for them and supplies, so that if they made it out before the detonation, they could have a way to make it to shelter before nightfall hit…but there was a possibility that perhaps they wouldn’t make it out, and Burnley would. If that was the case…”

“So you decided not to give them a life line, because of the off chance that Burnley ‘might’ be the one that got out? This is insane!” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Forcing her emotions away, she yanked the sheet off the bed and eased herself into a sitting position. The movement sent a wave of pain coursing throughout her entire body and it took all the strength she had inside of her to keep from crying out. Aaron moved to help her, but she batted him away and managed to get her feet down onto the floor. “You lied to her, you lied to them BOTH! Lizzie led you right to that base, and Thomas gave you the information that you needed without you ever having to lift a finger, and what did you do? You turned around and betrayed them, by choosing to run off and leaving them behind.”

“Selene, think about what Burnley has done, of all crimes he’s committed. We needed to know for certain that he wouldn’t make it out.” Aaron replied.

“Stop lying! Browning said that you were going to bring Burnley back here…alive.” Selene shot back. “But that didn’t happen now, did it? My son gave you EXACTLY what you wanted and then all of a sudden bringing that bastard back here isn’t a priority anymore. Burnley was valuable to you just as long as he had the information tucked away inside of his head, and now that you have it, he’s expendable, just like the rest of us. That’s pretty low.”

“Think sensibly here for a moment, what are the chances that Lizzie, Thomas and anyone else would even be able to get away from him? You’ve seen what he’s capable of, and there’s a great likelihood that the others are already dead. I saw the files, I read the reports! Burnley needed to be stopped, and this was the only way that we knew for certain he could be. We don’t have time to hunt him down at the moment, so this is a necessary precaution. Right now our forces are gearing up and preparing to assault the main base. We have to stop them before they use the Everything Machine again and drain the planet. Our scientists have told us that we’re on the critical point here, and they don’t know how much longer the planet can sustain life, so we need to move out, and now.” Aaron reached out and took hold of her hands and squeezed them tightly. “Selene… we know about you and your past. We know that they took Thomas away from you and used him like one of their slaves, but you woke him up. Do you remember why you did that?”

Selene tried to pull her hands back, but Aaron held onto them tightly. She spoke in a quiet voice. “So that he could be free, and lead a rebellion against the F.E.C. to stop the tyranny and free others.”

“Exactly!” Aaron’s eyes now lit up with a unforeseen enthusiasm. “In a way, you sacrificed him so that others could live in peace. You could have let him live on, day after day under the F.E.C.’s rule, just being a mindless slave, but no… you wanted something more for him, so you found a way for him to break out and become aware. Thomas was taken from you when he was a child, and you left him under their rule until you could find him again, then after he woke up, you just left him again. You walked away from him and left him to his own fate, not because you were a cruel person or a uncaring mother, but because you knew that he was a strong young man, who could find a way to surmount any obstacle that came into his path. You had confidence in the son that Tristan gave to you, all those years ago. You have to do the same thing here, Selene. You have to trust that he will find a way home to you.”

Letting go of her hands, Aaron took a step back and let her have some room. Even the tiniest of motions hurt badly and the slightest movements set fire to her blistered skin, but still she remained standing, unfaltering and confident. Slowly lifting her head up, she met Aaron’s gaze. “Have your war. I’m going, and if you stand in my way or try to stop me, I swear that you will end up just like Browning.”

Burnley peeled his lips off Brock’s, licking them and tasting the sweetness of his desire with an excruciating slowness that made me want to vomit. He turned to face me; still keeping his body uncomfortably close to Brock’s and gave me the most deviant look that I had ever seen. I brought the gun up and pointed it right at his head, and he smiled. Brock stood motionless in his arms, his eyes were closed and I could see his chest moving rapidly with each breath that he took. I wondered what he was feeling, was it fear or exhilaration? I did not know which, and that scared me more than standing in front of a cold blooded killer. “Get your fucking hands off him.” I repeated, feeling my heart beating furiously in my chest.

Much to my surprise, Burnley released him, and took a step to the side, moving away. Brock opened his eyes up, and briefly glanced once at me and then looked away, the expression on his face emotionless and blank. “Bates.” Burnley spoke in an annoyed tone. “Well well well. I see you’ve managed to find the strength to stand up on your own. How fascinating! It has only been a few short hours since I had you down in front of me begging for mercy. I really didn’t expect to see you walking so soon, considering how hard I fucked you.” Burnley paused to grin at me. “Did you run back and tell everyone how utterly bad it was, how much you cried and sobbed the moment that you came so violently? Hmm? Would you like me to do it again, if so all you have to do is get right back down there on your knees and beg like the pathetic piece of shit that you are, and may consider it. No? Oh well.. I guess the moment of bliss as worn off and you’re looking to come and take your casual fuck boy back so that you can use what I taught you on him. I applaud your efforts, it really is a noble thing that you are trying to do here, but we both know it won’t last. So why don’t you just end this charade of false hope that you’ve given yourself and take the chance to walk away? Every moment that you spend here only prolongs the pain and suffering that I will put you through. Cut your losses and leave. I promise you that I will not give you this chance again. I will never hand Brock over to you.”

I gripped the gun tighter in my hands and looked the bastard right in the eyes. Those beautiful and yet deadly amber eyes stared back at me, not showing a single trace of the shimmering emerald or gray color that once was there. Something had changed within him, he seemed even more stronger than he once was, more imposing and more lethal. Part of me wanted to take him up on the offer and turn around and leave, but I knew that wasn’t possible. “I am not going anywhere without him.” I said, trying to sound as confident as I could. I knew how he worked now, I figured out his ultimate weapon of manipulation. He used people’s fears and desires against them, twisting them and turning them into ammunition. I couldn’t show one ounce of weakness or fear to him, or else he would pounce upon it and use as leverage to sink his claws in. “You’ve taken everything that I have ever cared for away from me, Burnley, and I was foolish enough to let you, but not anymore. You’re going to let him…let us leave this place right now.”

Raising a eyebrow, Burnley tilted his head to the side in mock amusement. “I am not holding him here against his will. Brock is free to go if he wants to. It just happens to be that he chooses to stay with me at the moment. Maybe he chooses to stay because you treated him like a dog. Think about it… he admits that he loves you and you refuse him even the most basic of human emotions, that’s pretty cold. All he’s ever wanted is to love you, and he’s told you this on several occasions, but for some odd reason, YOU WON’T EVER FUCKING LISTEN TO HIM! On top of that, you send him out to retrieve Benjamin for you because you are too much of a fucking coward to do it yourself. I told you that this would happen, but you didn’t heed my words. I said that I was going to pick your little band of friends apart, and it turns out that I didn’t have to lift a finger, you’ve done it all yourself. You put Brock in danger, all because of the guilt that is eating away at you from the inside. Where were you when he was suffering and slamming his fist into the wall? Where were you when he was down on his knees with a gun to his head, that very gun that you hold in your hands as a matter of fact, tears rolling down his cheeks, calling out your name in despair? You were locked away in your own little reality, repeating the words that I spoke to you as I broke you down, again and again, feeling completely sorry for yourself. You wrapped yourself in your own selfishness as I wrapped my arms around him, and gave him the warmth, the love that he so desperately needed. He chooses to stay because he knows he is safe with me; returning to you and your cold hearted ways will slowly kill him.”

Taking a step forward, my toes brushed against the messenger bag at my feet, and I felt some of Brock’s personal items go skittering out of the way, but I didn’t bother to look down. I couldn’t take my eyes off Burnley, not for one second. I had this feeling that he was waiting patiently for his chance to strike. “You’re lying! You’ve done something to him to make him stay with you. What are you holding over him?” I shouted.

“Absolutely nothing. The Brock that you have known for so long as a false one, Bates. He’s hidden away his real emotions and feelings from you, because he was afraid of losing you. All I’ve done is simply shown him that putting your love and happiness in the hands of another person is foolish. He needs to live for himself.” Burnley shrugged and took another step away from Brock with a dramatic flourish, this time putting more distance between them in the tight corridor. He was far enough away that I could have a clear shot. “But if you don’t believe me, you are more than welcome to try and convince him to go with you. I won’t stop you.” He turned to Brock. “Every step of the way, you’ve always had a choice, and so I am giving you this one as well. I have never lied to you, and I never will. You can walk out of here right now with him if you wish. Go back to the life of silent suffering and pain. Wake up every morning, knowing that you will never be loved. Subject yourself to the torment and try to live through it. I assure you, Brock, if you choose this, you’ll be dead within a few weeks, and not by my hand. You will die of a broken heart. Nevertheless, there is a vehicle in the sub-basement waiting for you; the key is in the breast pocket of the flight jacket you are wearing. Take it and go if you wish, I will not pursue you.”

“Brock, please…” I begged. “Let’s just go.” There was so much I wanted to say to him, but it was all jumbled together and muddled inside of my head, and I was completely unable to put it into words.

Several tense moments passed before he spoke to me, and when he did, I sensed something in his voice that I had never heard before, and that was desperation. “What’s going to happen when we leave here?” Brock asked.

The sound of his weak voice almost brought me to tears. I couldn’t bear the thought that I was the cause for so much of his pain. “I don’t know, Brock… I don’t know...” I paused to take a breath. “But I do know that even though we’re far from home, in a place that we don’t belong, we have friends here. The messengers, they are good people. Thomas and Lizzie, they care so much about you. When Thomas needed someone to stand up for him when no one else would, you were there for him. You helped him find the strength that he needed to become leader of the Shallow Bay. You saw something in him that no one else did and gave him the confidence to stand on his own, because that’s what you do. Think about Lizzie, she looks up to you like a brother, if it weren’t for you, she would never have escaped the F.E.C. She loves you very much and would do anything that she could to bring a smile to your face. They will be waiting for us Brock; all we have to do is turn around and walk through that door.” Still keeping the gun aimed at Burnley, I took one hand off of it and extended it to Brock. “Let’s go home, to our friends.”

A small tear formed in the corner of Brock’s eye. He raised his hand about an inch and a feeling of relief washed over me. He was listening. I finally found a way to get through to him. I could no longer give him love in the way that he wanted, but I knew that by reassuring him of the love our friends had for him, he might be able to find a way back from the darkness that was consuming him. He wasn’t totally lost yet. He stepped forward and then I heard Burnley call out from behind. “It’s a nice little attempt there, Bates, but you know that lying by omission is still technically a lie.”

I saw Brock stop in his tracks and lower his arm. Now he was listening, but not to me, it was Burnley instead. This back and forth banter had to be stopped. “What are you talking about? Nothing I said is a lie!” I snapped.

Burnley put a hand on Brock’s shoulder. “Notice that he has not mentioned Benjamin at all? He left that part out, to sugar coat his words and convince you that everything is going to be alright. I said that I would let you leave if that is what you want, but I can assure you that he will not leave this base without Ben. Remember that’s the reason why you came here.” Burnley leaned in towards Brock again and slid his hand from his shoulder down his arm in one sensual movement. “The night before you left to invade my home you were in Dustin's arms, in his bed, he held you so tightly and made you forget for a little while that anyone else existed except for the two of you. Bates knew exactly what he had to do to make you his, both body and mind.” Burnley turned slightly so that he was standing sideways next to Brock, letting his free hand drop down and slide along his spine as he spoke. “He knew where to touch you, where to kiss you, and the right words to say to you. He made you believe in him, so that in the morning he could convince you to go rescue Benjamin, because he needed you and all the knowledge you have inside of your head to get inside the base and you fell for it. Now he’s doing it again. He needs you to find Benjamin for him.” Burnley gestured grandly. “You know where he is, I’ve showed you. Leave my side and lead Bates to the one that he loves if you wish.”

Brock started to shake. I could see that his whole body was trembling. Fuck! Burnley had gotten close to him again. I missed my chance for a clean shot. “Dustin, can you leave without Benjamin?”

He looked at me with those large dark eyes, filled with sadness that it was breaking my heart. I wanted to tell him what he needed to hear, I wanted to lie to him and tell him that we could leave together, to forget about Ben, but I couldn’t do it. I started to wonder if there was truth to what Burnley had said. Maybe I wasn’t consciously aware of the fact that I was using Brock, but it didn’t lessen the fact that I did and this made me feel even worse. All Brock wanted was for me to love him. “I am sorry Brock. I can't.”

Tightening his good hand into a fist, Brock spoke through clenched teeth. “Why? WHY DO YOU CONSTANTLY CHOOSE HIM OVER ME?”

“Because he’s in here somewhere all by himself, alone, thinking that no one is coming for him. I can’t just walk away and leave him behind like that. He’s in need of…”

“STOP!” Brock shouted unexpectedly. Even Burnley cringed slightly at the tone in Brock’s voice. “Tell me the fucking truth! Don’t give me this garbage about leaving a man behind, because we both know that’s not what it’s about. I want to hear it from your own lips. Just say it, or are you so afraid of saying it out loud because you’ll lose me forever? Well Dustin, it’s too late, the damage is already done and all that is left is for you to say the words that will seal your fate.” He narrowed his eyes at me and I felt like my knees were about to buckle. “I ask you this again, this one word question… why?”

It was at that moment that I knew what it was that he wanted to hear. This was the final confrontation between Brock and I, the last words that we would probably ever say to one another. “Because I love him... and I can't love you, not like that.” I whispered.

Next to Brock Burnley spoke, “I love you.” but his words were not a mockery of mine. They were directed at Brock, and I sensed a moment pass between the two of them.

Brock looked at me as the tears were finally released from his eyes and started to stream down his face. Reaching into his pocket, he took the key and threw it on the floor. It landed at my feet and gleamed brightly in the dim light. “Dustin, leave.”

I lowered the gun and looked down at the key laying on the floor like it was some sort of poisonous creature that was ready to attack me. This was it then, the end of things. I would take that key; find Ben and escape with the others. We would make it back to the Shallow Bay and that would be the conclusion of the story. Another chapter finished. But I didn’t want it to end like this. I loved Brock enough to know that he was making a mistake choosing to be with Burnley. Whatever happened in that control room, out of sight was enough to completely shatter the trust that Brock and I had in one another, and I couldn’t quite figure out what Burnley could have possibly said or had done to sway him so easily. I didn’t believe that Burnley loved Brock, not for a moment. There was a part of the puzzle that I wasn’t aware of, but it was too late to figure it all out now. I thought about the savage way that Burnley raped me; of all the things he said while the vicious assault was going on that stuck inside my head and still stayed with me. He had violated me in the worst possible way, taking my strength, confidence and courage away in the process. His touch was brutal and unforgiving, every bruise I still carried on my body was a testament to this. I knew that if I turned my back and walked away, I was subjecting Brock to the same punishment. Burnley would never love him, he would just abuse him, taking hours of sadistic pleasure from Brock until there was nothing left of the man that he once was. I wanted to save him, but at the same time, I wanted Brock to make his own choices. I had hurt him enough with one single kiss, and by standing here and refusing to leave, I was making matters worse.

Slowly bending down, I reached for the key, wrapping my fingers around the edge and feeling the weight in my hand. It was heavier than I expected; a tiny trinket laced with emotions and feelings that would literally be the way out for me. I was aware of Brock watching; his eyes were on me, observing my every movement. I slipped the key into my pocket and looked to Burnley, who didn’t seem concerned about me at all. I could feel the sweat starting to pour down my back and moisten the thin material of my shirt as I gripped hold of the handle of the gun and raised it back up. Pushing the power button, I heard the electronic whirring of the gun as it quickly energized and started to glow with an eerie green color that reflected on the close walls around us. Everything started to move in slow motion as I brought it up, and aimed for Burnley.

Brock looked at the weapon and realized that it had been armed and ready for use. He reached out for Burnley, but I couldn’t tell if he was pushing him away, or moving in front of him. Everything started moving faster now. From the sudden movement, Brock lost his balance, falling backwards and hit the wall, the back of his head impacting against the concrete with a loud thud and he slipped down to the floor, remaining motionless. Confused and startled by Brock’s unexpected movement, Burnley turned his attention to me, snarling viciously and I pulled back on the trigger of the gun before he could react. The first bolt of electricity released from the barrel with such force that it caused my wrist to snap back and it harmlessly impacted with the ceiling, a miss. Bits of concrete and dust rained down over us from high overhead as Burnley started to rush forward, coming directly at me. Looking more like some sort of deranged animal rather than a human, his amber eyes flashed wildly at me as his fingers and arms arched, reaching for me. He was going to rip me apart with his bare hands. In a panic, I took hold of the gun once again, holding it even tighter in my hands to avoid the recoil and shot another bolt at him. I watched in triumph as I saw the crackle of energy and it penetrated his shoulder and ripped it’s way through, exploding out the other side of his body with great force. He let out a cry of pain as blood began to pour down over his chest and drip onto the floor. I hit him! Taking advantage of the moment of distraction, I fired another round at him, aiming right for his chest, but there was no blinding flash of light, or smell of burning flesh as the bolt hit. Instead, the gun went from a green color to red, and a small warning light came on, displaying a ‘overheating’ notice. I had the settings turned up too high and it couldn’t handle a third shot without a slight cool-down phase. All I could do is wait. Gripping his injured shoulder, he stopped moving and stared me down. I felt like a deer in headlights.

“Don’t you get it, Bates? He doesn’t love you anymore, and he never will again. Even if you kill me right here, there will always be my words lurking inside his head, scratching at his brain, whispering thoughts of the truth that I’ve shown him.” Burnley shifted his fingers as the blood poured out from between then and he grinned at me. He was a unholy vision of horror. “But you already know all about this because you still hear me speak to you inside your head. Even if you manage to find Benjamin and get out of here with your friends, the moment when you’re alone at night for the first time, you will close your eyes and see me there with you. When he touches you, you will feel my fingertips there on your naked skin, commanding, controlling you. Even now, as you stand there I can sense you thinking about it, your heart is racing, your flesh is tingling, and the fear is rising up inside of you. This is exactly what Brock wants, he wants to feel like this with you, but you just keep denying him. He came to me, begging me to take his life because of you, you destroyed every bit of feeling and emotion that he had inside of him. I showed him what it’s like to really feel again. The taste of fear, the thrill of anticipation but most importantly, the intoxicating rush of lust and desire. It’s all here…” Burnley pulled his hand away from his shoulder and let the crimson droplets of blood slowly flow down his arm. “I can make him feel all of this with the slightest touch of these fingers.” His expression changed to something darker, more sinister, and he dropped his voice. “Or I can bring about the most excruciating agony and pain that he’s ever felt in his entire life. I am more powerful than you will ever know. After I finish off Benjamin, I will take Brock with me to the F.E.C. base and together we will slaughter every single living soul there, taking them down by slitting one throat at a time. I will gain control of the Everything Machine, the most powerful creation known to mankind, and use it for my own purposes. Then, at the end of the day, after our marathon murdering spree, I will rip off every single bit of Brock’s clothing and fuck him harder than he could ever imagine. Possibly even harder than you. He’s so young and delicate, a nice change from the usual type of garbage I have to exert my will over, but I assure you that he will be quite a pleasure to break. I dare say that I am going to enjoy it. I’ll even take my time with him, letting him feel each thrust as I push myself deeper into him, all the time, joyfully reminding him that it was all his choice to be with me. Then he will totally be mine. There will be no memory of you left.”

I shifted the weapon from hand to hand. It was still incredibly hot and needed a few more moments to cool down. I had to stall him. “That’s not love, Burnley. You’re using him too! You need him to get into the F.E.C. headquarters because of the high security and then you’re just going to have your way with him and cast him aside. Who is the hypocrite now? You should listen to your own words. Love isn’t about how useful someone can be to you; it’s about how they make you feel. You were taken away from your family at such a young age, how could you ever possibly know what real love feels like? All you know is fear, pain and torture. Brock doesn’t deserve that. He deserves more than just being used, fucked and murdered by a man who he thought he loved.”

Burnley’s eyes gleamed with pride. “I never said I was going to murder him. Please do try and keep up Bates. I know you’re the genius who wrote the Prox transmissions, but that doesn’t excuse your lack of inattention. As a matter of fact, I am going to be keeping Brock by my side for quite some time and we’re going to live happily ever after. I found something in him, something that was lost in me… Maybe it was that sweet, tender innocence, or perhaps that undying sense of love that drew me to him. Whatever it is, it fascinates and mesmerizes me, like a butterfly trapped under glass with it’s wings pinned down. I am not merely content to merely sit and admire it, I want to take it out and dissect it, slicing away at the layers until I find the source of that beauty.”

I couldn’t help but to shudder at his words. Brock was nothing more than a object to him, and I needed to make sure that he could never have the chance to go through with his psychopathic plans. “You can’t have your happy ending with him, none of us will.” I scoffed. “Prox is deteriorating at a rapid pace, especially with the Everything Machine sucking up all the resources. We’re all going to suffer the same fate when the planet eventually goes dark and dies, including you. You are dooming us all.” Casually I glanced down at the gun and saw that the red color had faded to yellow. It was almost ready. I could be done with the bastard soon, I had to be patient. Don’t make a mistake here, Dustin. Too much is riding on this. “Stop trying to rationalize it.” I said flatly.

“Once again space boy, you’re dead wrong. I never said I was staying here.” Burnley looked down at the unconscious Brock laying sprawled out against a wall of the corridor. He almost looked peaceful in his repose. “I found out what he wants. It’s something more than me, more than you, it’s a basic right that everyone should have…he wants to go home. That is exactly what I am going to give to him. I will use the Everything machine to send us both back in time to the place that we both belong, Earth, and leave this miserable planet behind us. What happens to it after I leave is of no concern to me. Armed with the knowledge that I have now, I will stop the F.E.C. from starting their reign of tyranny before it even begins.” Burnley smiled at me and I cringed, he had this planned all along. “I know all the key players that need to be taken out, and in the exact order too. I’ll be unstoppable.”

I struggled to keep my composure. “Your plan is flawed, Burnley. If you leave Prox by using the Everything Machine, you will be stuck in the past, with no way to move forward, you will be just another ordinary person.”

He started to laugh. It was a cold, bitter laugh that rang through the halls and filled me with terror. “Wrong yet again. Let me give you a little history lesson.” He took a breath to pause and wipe the blood off his hand on the hem of his shirt and point towards the control room he and Brock had stepped out of earlier. “You see that room there? It’s the nerve center of this base. I can monitor everything from in there. Including all transmissions both sent and received. Your friend, Thomas has conveniently stumbled upon the schematics for the Everything Machine and has sent them back in time to Earth; in a pathetic attempt at warning them about the F.E.C., which as you know from history, will be completely ignored. What you don’t know, however, is that he had made a crucial error in his transmission and sent them back years prior to his predetermined era. They were picked up a hundred years ago by a certain scientist who went by the name Nickola Tesla. He started working on the machine in secret, eager to see if he could actually build the thing, however the technology just wasn’t available at the time and he couldn’t make it function. Still, he persisted. Eventually he ran out of funds, due to a series of thefts from other inventors, and was forced to seek outside assistance. A group of private individuals then offered to help fit the bill for his continued research, thus providing him the additional materials he needed, in exchange to sole rights and usage of the machine. He reluctantly agreed, because we all know how brilliant people are, they’d do anything to see their dreams come true, and think about the consequences later. Sadly though, Tesla passed away before he could complete the project and it was locked away in the basement at Wardenclyffe tower. In order to settle some debts that Tesla had incurred through the years, the private corporation made it appear as though the tower had been demolished and the scrap sold off to settle the bills, when in fact, the secret lab still existed hidden away well below the surface. For years after, they sent scientists down there to work on the machine, using the schematics from the transmission that Thomas Bell accidentally sent to the past and the information from the Prox Transmission book that you wrote, the Everything Machine has been a work in progress for years, non-functional of course. All I have to do is to use the machine here to go back to a previous point in time and put the final pieces of the puzzle together to make it operational. After that, I can travel to any point in time that I wish.”

“You’re not a scientist, Burnley. How can you get it up and running yourself without the basic scientific knowledge of the inner workings of such a delicate piece of machinery?” I asked, curious. Once again, he smiled and turned his gaze to Brock. I felt a pit form in the bottom of my stomach. “Oh my god, you’re going to use him to complete the machine for you.”

Burnley shrugged and then winced, as a bolt of pain from his shoulder wound shot down his arm and into his fingertips. I wanted to relish in the fact that I actually hit him and that hole in his arm was causing him pain, but I knew the truth to it was that he loved pain, and even the smallest amount excited him. “I don’t have to ‘use him’ as you so blatantly put it. He will do this for me willingly. I don’t know if you’re aware of the fact or not, but that boy is brilliant. As a matter of fact, he’s going to not only get the machine up and running, but he’s going to assist me in re-programming it for a slight adjustment. You see, it’s impossible for someone to remain in the past of their own time-line for very long, unless the machine is ‘tweaked’ to completely eliminate and destroy all traces of the person’s previous self first. So in a way, when we go back in time, our former selves will cease to exist. There won’t be a child born to Benjamin and Rhiannon, and Brock’s mother will never give birth to her youngest son.” Burnley’s eyes flashed with psychotic passion. “Here’s the best part! If these little adjustments are made, then when the former self is erased, it will also take with it all memories, feelings and emotions that anyone connected to that person had, who might possibly still be alive in the future.” He stopped to chuckle to himself. “Which means IF you’re still alive at that point when we succeed, you will simply stop remembering him… us. It will be as if we never existed to you. In a way, I will be doing you a favor. You won’t ever have to think about Brock again, because you never knew him, and Benjamin won’t ever have a son!”

“This is insane.” I shook my head and glared at Burnley. “Brock won’t take part in this. He’s a good person inside. I hurt him, that’s the only reason why he’s with you right now; he’s doing all this to punish me. He’s not your god damn toy; he won’t follow your orders. Right now, he’s just confused and lost… and it’s all my fault. Wiping someone out of existence is murder, Burnley and Brock won’t kill for you.”

“Brock is very valuable to me.” Burnley’s amber eyes flashed with triumph. “More so than you will ever know. He has a very strong sense of devotion and commitment to the person that he loves, but you’d never be able to see that. Sure it might take a bit of convincing at first, but I am more than certain he will do as he is told, and it probably will weigh heavily upon his conscience for a while, but with just the right amount of… ahem… gentle persuasion, and physical affirmation he will get over it and come through stronger than he has ever been. You have no idea of the real person inside of him, because you’ve always just tossed him aside and treated him like a puppy, but he’s more than that… SO MUCH MORE. He’s been telling you all along how much you mean to him, but you haven’t heard a single word he’s said, not really. Besides, when we make it to that point in time, it won’t have been the first person he’s killed.”

“What the fuck are you talking about, Burnley? You’re a god damn lunatic, and you just need to fucking die already.” Rage filled me and I found myself lifting the gun back up again, aiming it straight at him. The light on the side was yellow, it was still on cool down mode, but I didn’t care. I knew that it wasn’t a matter of choice now; I couldn’t let him have Brock. Even if I had to carry him out of there against his will, I would do it. He didn’t know about the atrocities that Burnley had planned for him, and I wouldn’t have time to explain. I didn’t realize how badly I hurt Brock with that careless kiss several hours ago, I had no idea what kind of consequences it would have, and therefore I felt like he was my responsibility now. He was going to end up hating me more, if that was even possible, but there was no way in hell I would ever let Burnley touch him again. I couldn’t bear the thought of that bastard twisting and corrupting him. I was the reason why Brock was here, I was the reason his heart was broken, and I HAD to be the one to make things right.

We both stood silent for a moment, the only sound in the long, dark corridor was that of Burnley’s blood slowly dripping from the shoulder wound. Quietly, he spoke to me. “Bates. Why don’t you just give up? There is nothing left for you here. I’ve taken away everything that you love. Brock is mine, Benjamin is mine. Turn around and walk away while you still can. I don’t give this gift of mercy away lightheartedly, take it and go out into the desert. It will be much easier on you if you just admit defeat; rest your weary head down on the cold ground and let the wind and sand take you away. Your hope is the most beautiful and the saddest thing I’ve seen in this world.” He shifted slightly, and I noticed a slight tinge of paleness take over his skin. Burnley was starting to weaken due to blood loss.

I took a deep breath letting the stale air fill my lungs and straightened out my back. A wave of confidence rushed through me as I stood there, staring down the enemy without fear. “It might be hopeless, Burnley but it’s all that I have right now. There’s no use in worrying about a tomorrow that might never come, so I am going to make damn sure you die today.”

He started to walk toward me again, I could tell that he was starting to feel pain from the wound, and that pain was starting to fuel his hatred towards me. “Fine, stay if you will Bates, your death will signal the start of my glorious reign. I don't care. I’ve already shattered your soul, so all that is left to do is peel off your skin and carve your bones. I’ll feed chunks of your warm flesh to Brock, who will have one last taste of you. You’ve always wanted to have him devour you, taking you deep inside the moist recesses of his mouth and slip you whole down his throat, haven’t you?”

At that moment, I heard Brock starting to stir, waking up and I noticed that Burnley took his eyes off me to look down at the helpless man at his feet, but I kept my eyes on the bastard right in front of me. One second later the color of the ready light on the gun turned green. “FUCK YOU BURNLEY!” I shouted and pulled back on the trigger without even giving it another thought. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Brock pull himself into a sitting position, holding his head in his hand and his eyes widened as the bolt of electricity shot out of my gun and started on its trajectory towards Burnley. The built up energy in the gun recoiled in my hand, and it forced me back a few steps away from him, where I tripped over the empty messenger bag and fell down onto the floor. I heard Brock shout something, but I refused to take my eyes off Burnley. The air crackled with static as the beam of concentrated electricity made contact with his head, sending a spray of bright red blood onto the wall and in seconds, he crumpled down to the floor. I dropped the overheated gun out of my hand and looked at Brock, who was staring back at me in disbelief. I could feel the warmth of a few drops of Burnley’s blood as it slowly trickled down my cheek. Neither of us knew what to say. I sat up slightly, and saw that Burnley had landed on the side of his body, and there was a small pool of blood starting to collect underneath his head and spill out, absorbing the tiny spots that had been dripped there earlier. The silence was deafening.

This was it. I had killed Burnley. I murdered Ben’s son. “Oh my god.” I whispered and sank back down to the floor. I couldn’t face Ben before because of what happened between Burnley and I, how was I going to confess to him that I was the one who took the life of his only child? I couldn’t think, I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t breathe, all I could do was sit there and stare at the unmoving body in front of me. This was supposed to be relief and retribution for what he had done to me, to Brock, to Ben and to all those innocent lives he had taken long before we arrived on Prox, but it wasn’t. His death made me feel empty and hollow, like I had destroyed something precious. I held my shaking hands out in front of me and tried to focus on them. My vision blurred and I felt a crushing pain forming in the center of my chest. There were cool tears on my face, and I realized that I was crying, but for some strange reason I didn’t feel it. The tears felt strange and alien to me. I shut my eyes tightly, trying to make all these feelings go away, I wanted to be numb and forget that I just took a life, but not just any life, the life of the son of the man that I loved. But I wasn’t even sure that Ben would remember me, if the visor’s ill effects were still taking hold then there was a chance that the memories would still be locked away. To him, I was just some stranger that had murdered his child. Ben would never forgive me, he would want vengeance for his death. I was going to lose him forever. Coldness began to infiltrate my veins and spread through me. I wrapped my arms around myself to try to stay warm. I leaned back on my heels and started to struggle for breath. “He’s going to kill me…he’s going to kill me…he’s going to kill me.” I repeated over and over. The silence was so maddening, it felt good to hear my own voice. With my eyes closed, all I could see was darkness and the longer I looked at it, I could swear that I could hear it calling me, laughing at me, mocking and beckoning me as it came closer and closer. I knew that I couldn’t open my eyes; I couldn’t bear the sight of the dead man in front of me. Squinting my eyes, I forced them shut even tighter so that all I could see was the serene sea of stars. I wanted to drown in them.

As I sat on the cold, hard floor, lost in my own guilt and misery, I heard a voice whispering in my ear. “Dustin.”

It was his voice, Burnley. He was mocking me from beyond death. He used the same low, baritone tone just before he forced himself onto me, mocking me with grand amusement as I broke down into tears. “No.” I begged. “No.” Then I felt his touch on my shoulders, his fingers were warm and soothing; I wanted to set my skin on fire and chase away this frigid coldness with them. Why was I thinking like this? What was this feeling of ice flowing through me? I didn’t understand, I couldn’t comprehend what was going on. Did Burnley do something to me? The feeling of someone’s hands resting on my shoulders grew heavier, and then I could hear the voice again calling to me. My body was being gently shaken. Slowly I opened my eyes, still unwilling to see the sight that I knew was waiting for me.

“Breathe Dustin, damn it breathe!” He shouted. It wasn’t Burnley. Brock was kneeling down in front of me, obscuring my view from the rest of the hall. Both of his hands were resting on my shoulders and he looked ashen and pale. “Thank God.” He said, sighing in relief. I swallowed, trying to force back the bile that was rising up from my throat and get some air into my lungs. Brock reached out and gently laid two fingers alongside of my neck, feeling my pulse. The touch of his fingertips felt wonderful.

“Brock?” I asked. I wanted to reach out and pull him into my arms, but I stopped. That would be a mistake. “What just happened?” I asked.

Letting go of me, Brock rose to his feet and stepped out of the way. I could see Burnley’s body in the hall beyond, his face hidden by shadows. I looked up at Brock, trying to read the expression on his face but he turned away from me, picking up the messenger bag and started to fill it with his personal items that had been emptied out onto the floor, grabbing each of them with haste. “We need to get out of here, fast.” He said. I remained on the floor, still feeling weak and unsure of myself.

Looking over to where the gun had fallen, I leaned over and reached for it, but Brock came around and grabbed it before I could, and swiftly tucked it away in his bag. “Brock, listen… I am sorry about everything that happened and—“

“Would you please stop it?” He said sharply, glaring at me. I involuntarily cringed, startled by the tone in his voice. “I can’t get into this right now with you. We’re in danger here. I can’t stress this enough. If you want to rescue Benjamin then I highly suggest that you get up off that floor and follow me. I know where he’s being kept.” Reaching down, he extended his hand for me and I waited a moment, looking up into his beautiful brown eyes. Nothing had changed; I could still see the darkness there, filling his soul with sorrow and pain. I hurt him, badly. Even Burnley’s death couldn’t make amends for what I had done to him. A chill ran down my spine when I realized he wasn’t grieving for Burnley, nor was he celebrating. As a matter of fact, there was nothing human about him at all, just a mindless shell of the person I once knew.

“Brock, what happened between you and Burnley?” I asked cautiously. “I know that it’s none of my business, but I just need to know… if… he hurt you in anyway… did he…” I stopped, completely unable to finish off my thought. To hear the question asked out loud made me feel even worse. I instantly regretted even saying it.

He looked over to Burnley’s motionless body laying a few feet away from us, and lowered his voice. “He didn’t hurt me, Dustin, not like you did.” His gaze then went down to the solid cast that was wrapped around his wrist, and his expression changed to one of sadness. “He didn’t even try…” The hand that he was offering me had started shaking, I could see his fingers twitching slightly. I reached up and took hold of that hand, gripping onto it tightly and pulling myself to my feet. As I came to stand next to him, I didn’t let go, but instead held onto it for as long as I could, deciding that I would hold on for as long as he needed me. I would never let go again. “He saved my life.” Brock whispered.

At that moment, I wanted to tell him everything that Burnley had revealed to me. I so desperately wanted to tell him about the horrible plan that he had concocted for the two of them, but I knew that it didn’t matter anymore. Burnley was dead, and Brock was safe. Telling him the viciousness of it all would only add insult to the injury. I had already pushed Brock away from me, and this information might only anger him even further, if he believed me at all. I chose to remain silent. He didn’t need to know. Giving his hand a light squeeze, I looked him right in the eyes. “He didn’t save you, Brock. You saved yourself.”

For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of light return to those dark eyes, but as quickly as it came, it went away again, and he let go of my hand. “We need to go. Ben is injured and we need to get to him quickly.” Turning around, he started to walk down the corridor, away from me.

“Brock, you know that you don’t have to do this.” I said, noticing how badly my voice echoed in the empty hall. I couldn’t tear my eyes off of him.

“I know.” He said, not looking back at me. “I want to.” Brock kept walking away down the hall, away from me towards the end of the corridor.

I hesitated for a moment, lost in my own thoughts. Brock had every right now to hate me; he had motive to just walk away and leave me here alone without telling me where Ben was, and yet he didn’t. Something inside of him wouldn’t let that happen. The caring and unselfish side of him was showing through, peering out from the cloud of sorrow and hate to show him the right path to take. Burnley’s death was the catalyst that started the healing process for him. For a moment my gaze fell on the motionless corpse a few feet away. He was the man who beat, raped, and tortured me to an inch of my own life, but I was the one who ended his life. I was his killer, and his murderer. The guilt that he put inside of me was still there, lurking, lingering in the back of my head and I knew I would have to force myself to accept these things before I would see Ben again. He mustn’t see fear, remorse or doubt when he looked at me. I wanted him to remember me for the person that I once was. Brock was right, we had a chance now to make it out of here, all of us together. All we had to do was make it happen.

Tearing my eyes of the corpse of the man who almost ruined my life, I collected myself and headed off in the direction that Brock was walking. He and I had somethings to work out, but I was certain now that we could work past them. There was something bigger than the both of us now that we had to deal with, and the fate of thousands of people and an entire planet hung in the balance. It was time to set differences aside and fight. For better or worse, everything was going to end here, tonight.


End file.
